DALLAS, TX: On March 22, 2003, 50 couples from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas, participated in From This Day Forward, a one-day celebration of marriage commitment opened to the general public and held at the Renaissance Hotel in Dallas, Texas.

Sponsored by Family Ministries of the North American Division, the Southwestern Union Conference, and the Southwest Region Conference, this is the first of four such events that will take place across North America in 2003.

The event consisted of presentations made by Wilma and Willie Lee from the Southwest Region Conference Family Ministries; Gayle and Mike Tucker from the Texas Conference and NAD Ministerial, and by Elaine and Willie Oliver from NAD Family Ministries.

During a day that lasted from 9:00 AM until 5:30 PM, couples learned skills on communication, problem solving, forgiveness and commitment. They also learned how to be intentional about scheduling times for just having fun and developing spiritual intimacy in marriage.

At the end of the event, couples renewed their wedding vows and received specially designed certificates to commemorate the occasion.

The next From This Day Forward marriage conference takes place on April 19, 2003, in San Francisco, California.

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Written by: Willie Oliver, Director of Family Ministries for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America